Papua New Guinea

Visa Information and Lodgement

Country coverage

The visa office provides immigration and visa service to clients in Papua New Guinea (permanent and temporary entry applications) and the Solomon Islands (permanent entry applications only).
Note: Clients from Solomon Islands can lodge their permanent entry applications in Honiara and it will be forwarded to Port Moresby for processing.
See: Special procedures

Lodging a visa application

At the Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC)

The department has an agreement with TT Services to provide Australian visa and citizenship lodgement services in Papua New Guinea through an AVAC.

Clients can lodge their applications either in person or by post or courier at one of the AVACs in Lae or Port Moresby. A fee will be charged for this service in addition to the scheduled fee charged by the Australian High Commission for all visa applications.

Further information on the AVAC and services they provide is available from their website.
See: www.ttsaustralia.com

By post or courier to the Australian High Commission

Please ensure you have enclosed the appropriate visa application charges. Sponsors can also pay the visa application charge at any departmental office in Australia and include the official receipt with the application.

At the Australian High Commission in person

You can only lodge your application in person at the Australian High Commission by appointment. However, you can lodge your application at one of the AVACs at any time during their business hours without an appointment.
Note: Appointments to attend the High Commission are made through the AVACs.
See: Contacts – Papua New Guinea

Permanent Entry visas

Permanent entry visa applications (except general skilled, business skills, Distinguished Talent (subclass 124), Former Resident (subclass 151) and parent subclasses) from countries included in country coverage list above are processed and decided in Port Moresby.

General skilled migration applications are lodged at the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre.
See: General Skilled Migration Processing Centres

Business skills applications are lodged and processed at the Perth Business Skills Processing Centre.
See: Perth Business Skills Processing Centre

Applications under the Special Migration stream – Distinguished Talent (subclass 124) and Former Resident (subclass 151), are lodged and processed at the Perth Office.
See:
Perth Office
Distinguished Talent Visa Enquiry form

Contributory parent and parent migration applications are lodged and processed at the Parent Visa Centre.
See: Parent Visa Centre

Temporary Entry visas

Temporary entry visa applications from countries included in country coverage list above are processed and decided in Port Moresby.

416 Special Program applications are lodged and processed at the Hobart Special Program Processing Centre.
See: Hobart Special Program Processing Centre

420 Entertainment sponsorship and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Sydney Entertainment Processing Centre.
See: Sydney Entertainment Processing Centre

442 Occupational Trainee sponsorship and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Adelaide Occupational Trainee Processing Centre.
See: Adelaide Occupational Trainee Processing Centre

Sponsored Family Visitor visa (subclass 679) applications must be lodged in Australia by the sponsor. 679 Sponsored Family Visitor visas will be processed at one of the Sponsored Family Visitor processing centres.
See: Sponsored Family Visitor Processing Centres

If you are sponsored by an Australian employer for a subclass 457 Business (Long Stay) visa, you may lodge your visa application online or at an Australian office of the department. If you are sponsored by an overseas business, you can lodge your visa application with the Australian Immigration Office responsible for applications in your country.
See:
Centres of Excellence
Online Applications

If you are sponsored by an Australian employer, you must lodge your visa application at the same office in Australia where your employer lodged papers to support your application. Please ask your employer which office they lodged these papers at.
See: Contact Us – Australian Offices

Citizenship

Applications for Citizenship by Descent can be lodged at one of the AVACs or at the Australian High Commission, Papua New Guinea.

All applications for Australian citizenship general eligibility and other situations, and applications to resume or renounce (give up) Australian citizenship should be lodged at the Melbourne CBD Office.
See:
Application process for Australian citizenship
Application process to resume Australian citizenship
Giving up your citizenship
Melbourne CBD Office

Special procedures

Permanent entry applicants should be aware that normal postal delivery between South Pacific offices and Papua New Guinea can take up to four (4) weeks.

For faster processing, you are encouraged to lodge your application at one of the AVACs.